Baseball Owners Reject Players' Offer

November 07, 1996|By Jerome Holtzman, Tribune Baseball Writer.

Major League Baseball owners, by a wider majority than expected, Wednesday rejected the latest offer for labor peace from the Players Association 18-12 and now hope to continue negotiations through their 12-man Executive Council.

"We look forward to getting together with the union and are hopeful these meetings will bring long-term peace," said acting Commissioner Bud Selig after a seven-hour meeting in Chicago.

The owners have given the council authority to conclude a deal without returning to the full membership for ratification.

Negotiations, if there are any, aren't likely to include Randy Levine, the controversial New York attorney who has been negotiating for management since last October and had reached a deal with players leader Don Fehr.

But Levine is expected to resign principally because the owners failed to approve his deal with Fehr. Three times since last August, Levine, in concert with Fehr, has announced prematurely that accord had been reached.

Selig insisted Levine never had the authority to close a deal.

"Everybody understands you have to go back to the membership," Selig said.

Levine said he was "extremely disappointed" with the owners.

"What Don and I came to is the best I could do," he said.

A three-fourths majority--23 of the 30 votes--was required for ratification. Only eight votes were necessary to block the deal. But the opponents were able to get more than twice what they needed.

It has been assumed Selig, the influential owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, was against the deal and his daughter reportedly cast the Brewers' dissenting vote. Both Chicago clubs, the Cubs and White Sox, were believed to be with the majority.

Selig emphasized he is still hopeful for a deal, although Fehr has maintained the players won't compromise further.

The principal differences are the luxury-tax proposal, which the players want in effect only during the first three years of a five-year contract, and full service time for the 75 days the players missed during the 1994-95 strike.

If no agreement can be reached by Nov. 15, plans for interleague play next season will be shelved. Also, it's likely the sport will continue for another season under the terms of the contract that expired after the 1993 season.